DailyBeast: Summer Movie Preview

'The Great Gatsby' (May 10)

Based on the celebrated novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this 3D drama reunites "Romeo and Juliet" star Leonardo DiCaprio with filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, known for his ornately decorated films. "The Great Gatsby" follows the life and times of Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), a millionaire World War I veteran-cum-bootlegger who is known for throwing lavish weekly parties at his Long Island mansion. He is hopelessly in love with socialite Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), and the story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a neighbor and confidant of Gatsby’s. The film was scheduled to open in Dec. 2012, but was pushed back to this summer due to production difficulties. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

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It’s been a slow year at the cinemas so far, with only a handful of films crossing the $100 million threshold—but all that will change on May 3, when "Iron Man 3" flies into theaters and kicks off the summer movie season. And there’s plenty more to be excited about, including Leonardo DiCaprio as "The Great Gatsby," "Superman" reboot "Man of Steel," and the highly anticipated sequel, "Star Trek: Into Darkness." There are also new movies by celebrated filmmakers Richard Linklater ("Before Midnight"), Sofia Coppola ("The Bling Ring"), and Woody Allen ("Blue Jasmine"). Check out all the must-see films of the summer in our epic summer movie preview!

Jon Favreau has been replaced in the director’s chair by Shane Black, the "Lethal Weapon" scribe who kick-started Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback tour with the 2005 film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." In the third installment of the Marvel superhero franchise, set shortly after the events of "The Avengers," billionaire genius-cum-superhero Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) dons his Iron Man suit to do battle against a villain known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), who is responsible for a series of terrorist bombings. Iron Man is once again joined by his Girl Friday, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), as well as franchise newcomers Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). Be sure to stick around ‘til the closing credits for a special treat… (Photo: Disney) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Michael Shannon will follow up his award-worthy performance as “sorority rant” girl Rebecca Martinson in director Ariel Vromen’s drama, based on the life of Mafia hitman Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski, who claims to have murdered 100 men between 1948 and 1986. The film, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, features Shannon at his unhinged best, and also stars Winona Ryder as his wife, Deborah, Chris Evans as a rival hitman, Ray Liotta as Kuklinski’s employer, and a brief cameo by James Franco as a goofy target. (Photo: Millennium Films) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Based on the celebrated novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this 3D drama reunites "Romeo and Juliet" star Leonardo DiCaprio with filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, known for his ornately decorated films. "The Great Gatsby" follows the life and times of Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), a millionaire World War I veteran-cum-bootlegger who is known for throwing lavish weekly parties at his Long Island mansion. He is hopelessly in love with socialite Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), and the story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a neighbor and confidant of Gatsby’s. The film was scheduled to open in Dec. 2012, but was pushed back to this summer due to production difficulties. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

This documentary by actress-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley ("Away From Her") uses interviews with her siblings, narration from brother Michael Polley’s memoir, as well as Super 8 footage shot to look like home movies, to tell the story of Polley’s family, including the shocking revelation that she was the product of an extramarital affair. "Stories We Tell" has received rave reviews and was named best Canadian film at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards. (Photo: Roadside Attractions) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

In the long-awaited follow-up to 2009’s "Star Trek," J.J. Abrams’s sequel brings back all the officers aboard the USS Enterprise, including Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Uhura (Zoe Saldana), who must face off against John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a former member of Starfleet who bombs the Starfleet Archives in London, and subsequently kills Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Kirk must travel to the Klingon home planet, Kronos, to find Harrison. (Photo: Paramount) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Written and directed by acclaimed indie filmmaker Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale"), this black and white dramedy stars Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote the film) as Frances, a 27-year-old dancer who is enjoying a carefree existence along with her best friend, Sophie (Mickey Sumner), with whom she shares a Brooklyn apartment. When Sophie gets engaged and moves out, Frances’ life is thrown into chaos and she must learn how to live on her own. The film also features Adam Driver, the star of HBO’s "Girls," as a friend of Frances. (Photo: IFC Films) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

The sixth entry in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise is set shortly after the events of "Fast Five," which was far and away the best action film of 2011. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew are all wealthy men following their Brazil heist but cannot return to the U.S. due to their criminal records. Diplomatic Security Service agent Hobbs (The Rock) offers the crew full pardons if they help him catch Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), a former special ops soldier who heads a heist gang, as well as his second-in-command, Toretto’s former flame, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez). The whole gang from "Fast Five" is back, and is joined by newcomer Gina Carano ("Haywire") as a member of Hobbs’ team. (Photo: Universal Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

This sequel to 2004’s "Before Sunset" is the third film in the "Before Sunrise" trilogy, and is directed by Richard Linklater from a screenplay by Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy. Set nine years after the conclusion of "Before Sunset," American Jesse (Hawke) and Frenchwoman Celine (Delpy) are now married with twin girls living in Paris. Jesse is struggling to maintain a relationship with his teenage son, Hank, from his previous marriage, and the relationship problems between Jesse and Celine bubble to the surface during the family’s summer vacation in Greece. The film received rave reviews when it made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and is—in this writer’s opinion—utterly brilliant. (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Despite a poor critical reception, "The Hangover Part II," released in 2011, grossed over $581 million worldwide, making it the highest-earning R-rated comedy in history. The third film in the franchise sees the trio of Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and Stu (Ed Helms) return to their original stomping grounds of Las Vegas for more R-rated hijinks. Heather Graham will reprise her role from the first "Hangover" film as Stu’s ex-flame, Jade, and John Goodman and Melissa McCarthy will join in on the fun. (Photo: Warner Bros.) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Having tackled the financial crisis ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"), the war on terror ("Taxi to the Dark Side"), and the Catholic Church ("Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God"), arguably the world’s most prolific documentary filmmaker, Alex Gibney, has decided to focus his lens on the shadowy organization WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. While the film does not include an interview with Assange—who refused to participate in its production—the film does include interviews with a variety of people associated with the organization, and dedicates a great deal of time to the case of Bradley Manning, the army private who leaked the Afghan war diary and Iraq war logs to WikiLeaks. (Photo: Focus World) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this sci-fi blockbuster stars real-life father-son duo Will Smith and Jaden Smith as Cypher and Kitai Raige, two members of the planet Nova Prime, which was established 1,000 years after humanity abandoned Earth. Cypher is in the Ranger Corps, a peacekeeping organization, and decides to take his troublemaking son on a mission trip to Earth. Unfortunately, their ship crash lands on Earth, killing everyone onboard except the father and son, who must embark on a journey across the perilous planet filled with evolved creatures and a mysterious alien creature. (Photo: Columbia Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Marking the second collaboration between filmmaker Zal Batmanglij and actress-writer Brit Marling after 2011’s critically hailed Sound of "My Voice," "The East" is a far more polished effort that stars Marling as an operative for a private intelligence firm who infiltrates an anarchic eco-terrorist group known as The East. She soon begins to sympathize with the hippies, including the boisterous Izzy (Ellen Page), and falls for their charismatic leader, Benji (Alexander Skarsgard). (Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker James Marsh ("Man On Wire"), this riveting British-Irish drama is set in 1990s Belfast at the height of The Troubles. Colette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough) is an Irishwoman who lives with her mother and brothers, all high-ranking members of the IRA. After a botched attack in London, Colette is arrested and given a choice by Mac (Clive Owen)—go to jail for 25 years and lose her young son, or become an informant and spy on her family for the MI5. The outstanding cast is rounded out by "Game of Thrones’" Aiden Gillen, up-and-comer Domhnall Gleason (the son of actor Brendan Gleason), and Gillian Anderson. (Photo: Magnolia Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Directed by "The Incredible Hulk’s" Louis Leterrier, "Now You See Me" centers on a group of magicians known as The Four Horsemen. They are led by Michael Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) and perform a pair of high-tech magic shows, including robbing a bank on another continent and robbing a white-collar criminal and transferring his funds into audience members’ bank accounts. FBI Special Agent Dylan Hobbs (Mark Ruffalo) teams with an Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent), as well as magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), to take down the Robin Hood-like criminals. The all-star cast also includes Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Michael Caine. (Photo: Lionsgate Films) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

"The Wedding Crashers" duo of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson has reteamed to star in this comedy from director Shawn Levy ("Date Night"). They play a pair of hapless salesmen who are let go by their boss (John Goodman). Starting fresh, they talk their way into a highly coveted internship at Google where they compete with the nation’s best and brightest tech whiz kids. The film also stars Rose Byrne, Max Minghella, and Joanna Garcia. (Photo: 20th Century Fox) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Directed, written, and produced by Joss Whedon ("The Avengers"), this black and white adaptation of the Shakespeare classic is a modern retelling set at a vacation home that focuses on two pairs of silver-tongued lovers with two dramatically different approaches towards romance. The film stars Whedon regulars Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, and Franz Kranz. (Photo: Roadside Attractions) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Marking the directorial debut of writing partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who penned the hits "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express," the disaster-comedy film stars real-life pals James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson, whose raging house party is interrupted by alien invaders who have taken over Los Angeles. The film also features appearances by Jason Segel, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Aziz Ansari, The Backstreet Boys, and an ass-kicking Emma Watson. (Photo: Columbia Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Produced by Christopher Nolan (the "Batman" reboot) and directed by Zach Snyder ("The Watchmen"), this $175 million-budgeted reimagining of the "Superman" franchise stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, a Kryptonian sent to earth as an infant by his parents, including father Jor-El (Russell Crowe), who grows up to become the journalist-cum-superhero, Superman. He is forced to do battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon), a Kryptonian general with the same powers as the titular Man of Steel. The film also stars Amy Adams as Superman’s love interest Lois Lane, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as his adoptive parents, and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, the editor of The Daily Planet, where Kent works. (Photo: Warner Bros.) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Based on the real life ‘Bling Ring’—a gang of young thieves who stole over $3 million in merchandise from the L.A. mansions of celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, Rachel Bilson, and Audrina Partridge—this film is written and directed by Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation"). The gang of fame-obsessed teens is led by Rebecca (Katie Chang), and also includes Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), Sam (Taissa Farmiga), and Chloe (Claire Julien), who use the Internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts, and then rob their homes when they’re off on location shooting a film. The movie also stars Leslie Mann and Gavin Rossdale, and includes cameos by Paris Hilton and Kirsten Dunst as themselves. (Photo: A24 Films) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

This prequel to 2001’s "Monsters Inc." is the latest film from the Pixar dream factory. Directed by Dan Scanlon, the story artist for Pixar films "Cars" and "Toy Story 3," the film is set about 10 years before the events of "Monsters Inc." Monster Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal), is a 17-year-old who enrolls in Monsters University, where he majors in scaring. There, he befriends Sulley (voiced by John Goodman), a large, goofy member of the same fraternity who soon becomes his rival. The film also features the voice talents of Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, John Krasinski, Charlie Day, and Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble, the stern headmistress of Monsters University. (Photo: Pixar) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

This zombie horror film is directed by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace") and stars Brad Pitt as United Nations employee Gerry Lane, who travels the world interviewing survivors of the zombie apocalypse, known as World War Z, to try and discover the secret to stopping the zombie pandemic. The film also stars "The Killing’s" Mireille Enos as Lane’s wife and mother of their two children, Matthew Fox, and Bryan Cranston. It was supposed to come out last year, but was delayed so that they could do reshoots, and hired "Cabin in the Woods" scribe Drew Goddard to do script rewrites. (Photo: Pixar) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

In what will probably be the comedy smash of the summer, "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig reteamed with Melissa McCarthy for this action-comedy starring McCarthy as a no-nonsense, break-all-the-rules detective who teams with a by-the-book FBI agent (Sandra Bullock), to take down a Russian mobster. The Boston-set film also stars Marlon Wayans, Tony Hale, and Demian Bichir. (Photo: 20th Century Fox) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Following the similar-themed "Olympus Has Fallen," the latest disaster film from director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") once again sees the filmmaker destroy the White House. Stenz ("Zero Dark Thirty’s" Jason Clarke) plays the head of a group of mercenaries who takes over 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum), a Secret Service reject, is the only one who can rescue the president of the United States (Jamie Foxx). The action film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a Secret Service agent, Richard Jenkins as the Speaker of the House, and James Woods as head of presidential security detail. And since it’s an Emmerich film, expect plenty of explosions/mayhem. (Photo: Sony Pictures) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast

Written and directed by acclaimed auteur Pedro Almodovar, "I’m So Excited" is a light comedy set almost entirely aboard an airplane headed for Mexico City. When the flight attendants and crew realize that the plane will crash due to technical failure and the end is near, they try to make the flight as enjoyable an experience as possible for the passengers. The R-rated Spanish language comedy features lots of sex, and includes Javier Camara and Cecilia Roth, and also includes cameos by Almodovar regulars Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas. (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics) See the Full Story at The Daily Beast